Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 488 Success
"Ivy?" Jiang Qing also let out a soft exclamation. The two brothers had been together for many years and had a tacit understanding. Third Master Jiang understood why his senior brother had called him that softly, but he did not say anything.

However, when Jiang Qing turned his gaze back to the catalog, he asked with some doubt, "Wanbao Trading Company didn't even write down a price on it?"

"But I don't know, perhaps each side has its own rules." After carefully looking at everything in the sketchbook and memorizing what he wanted, Master Kang stopped thinking about it and just told everyone to take good care of themselves.

The auction is coming soon. Although Emperor Chongming may not be able to buy much, at least everyone can see the world. Isn't that a good thing?

However, Kang Dabao never expected that just two days after they checked in, another acquaintance would come to their door.

"Senior Yang's visiting card?" Headmaster Kang read through all the seal script on the letter. He had never imagined that he would encounter Yang Yongcheng here.

Although surprised, Kang Dabao would not mistreat a Golden Core cultivator, so he told his family to hide and took Jiang Qing outside to greet him.

"Brother Dao and Brother Jiang are actually here?" Yang Wuwei, who had come with Yang Yongcheng outside the door, saw the two of them come out and immediately showed a hint of joy on his face, and spoke first.

Compared to Yang Baoshan's rough-looking uncle, Yang Yongcheng, who had effeminate features, was much more handsome. Judging from the fact that he didn't get angry when a junior interrupted him, he must have a good temper.

His voice was gentle when he spoke, giving one a feeling of being caressed by a spring breeze: "Oh, so it turns out that the person staying here is young friend Kang. What a coincidence!"

Kang and Jiang dared not be negligent and returned the greeting respectfully. Yang Yongcheng, however, still smiled calmly and said, "I thought that the Wanbao Trading Company's auction would only be held once a year without exception. It is rare to have so many fellow Daoists gathered together. It would be unpleasant to sit in the courtyard alone, so I came to pay a special visit. I did not expect that you two young friends would be residing here. It seems that your sect has a profound foundation and orderly lineage."

Kang Dabao naturally wouldn't waste words explaining the origin of his invitation to Yang Yongcheng. He originally intended to invite the latter into the courtyard for a chat, but Yang Yongcheng, while being polite on the surface, turned around and smiled, pointing to Yang Wuwei behind him, saying, "If I were here, I'm afraid you would be too reserved, which wouldn't be pleasant. Let Wuwei stay here and catch up with the two young friends."

The two men understood what was happening, but their reactions differed. Master Kang, holding Jiang Qing's collar, led him in a bow to bid farewell. After welcoming Yang Wuwei into the courtyard, he heard a barely audible cold snort in his ear.

"Go, go to your sister-in-law's and ask her to bring you a pot of good tea." Kang Dabao pushed Jiang Sanye a few steps forward, turned around with a smile on his face, and saw that Yang Wuwei behind him had no abnormal expression. He breathed a sigh of relief, cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, fellow Daoist."

"Haha, fellow Daoist, please don't take it to heart. Uncle Yongcheng has always been like this. I hope you two fellow Daoists won't take offense." Yang Wuwei laughed for a while, and after sitting down with Headmaster Kang, he spoke up to explain: "Uncle has an important matter to attend to and needs to invite help as soon as possible. That's why he's a bit anxious. I didn't mean to belittle you brothers. I hope you won't take offense."

Kang Dabao just smiled after hearing this, and when he spoke again, he changed the subject: "After this auction, I'm afraid I'll have to congratulate you, Brother Dao."

Yang Wuwei, rarely so reserved, couldn't contain his joy. With a smile, he said in a cheerful voice, "Then I'll take your kind words, brother."

Master Kang chuckled a few times in agreement, a hint of envy creeping into his heart.

After all, a family scion who has elders to rely on has someone to arrange for the Core Formation spiritual treasures that are highly valued by their peers and that people would even risk their lives to obtain. How can one not be envious?
The two chatted about everyday things, but at their level, their conversations naturally went beyond just everyday matters. They would occasionally, intentionally or unintentionally, slip in important information to communicate what they needed.

Compared to Yang Wuwei's extensive network of connections, Sect Leader Kang knew far fewer secrets. This was unavoidable; Kang Dabao had many Golden Core cultivators he could talk to, but Fei Tianqin and Fei Nanying hadn't shown themselves for a long time, and Chu Yanran was hardly a close confidante. Naturally, he didn't know as much about many things as Yang Wuwei did.

However, Yang Wuwei didn't mind too much. If you want to make friends with people, the worst thing is to be taken advantage of.

Master Kang is a person worth getting to know better. Yang Wuwei did put a lot of effort into his relationship with him, but the subtle reminder he gave during the battle of Santing Prefecture was enough to make up for it all.

The Yang family of Yezhou saved the lives of at least a hundred elite disciples because of those few words. How could they be considered to have lost out?!

The two were deep in conversation when they saw that Jiang Qing had not only ordered fine tea, but Fei Shuhe had also brought out the younger generation to greet the distinguished guest.

When the group had only gone halfway, Pei Xiangcao raised her small hand, and a sparrow flew from behind, its little head glowing with a thin layer of mysterious light. It struggled to lift a tray and gently placed it on the table of Kang and Yang, on which were a pot, stove, charcoal, cups, and tea.

After being urged by her stepmother to step forward and bow gracefully, Kang Lingyi moved lightly to the table and sat down with her head held high. Despite her young age, she prepared tea with remarkable skill. Even Yang Wuwei, the eldest son of a prominent family, felt that the girl's movements were elegant and that she was quite remarkable.

This gesture signifies a close family relationship, which moved Yang Wuwei somewhat. As he drank the tea, a different thought arose in his mind: "Ahem, I wonder if you would be willing to become in-laws with me, fellow Daoist?"

Yang Wuwei's words made Kang Lingyi blush, and she quickly shrank behind her stepmother. The headmaster Kang was somewhat surprised and coughed several times, taking a long time to calm down. Finally, Fei Shuhe reacted quickly, smiling sweetly:

"Fellow Daoist Yang, you are joking. My Kang family has few male heirs, so our daughters are meant to stay at home and marry into our family. How could we bear to let them marry out again?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Wuwei realized that he had been too hasty. Even if he truly intended to do so, he should have invited the matchmaker to come and negotiate, rather than speaking up on his own and nearly ruining the pleasant atmosphere between the two sides.

"What you say makes sense, sister-in-law. It was my oversight." Yang Wuwei cupped his hands and smiled for a while, and the faint embarrassment on his face quickly subsided.

Both families handled the formalities well, and the atmosphere warmed up immediately. Yang Wuwei chatted with Chongmingzong for about half an hour before bowing and taking his leave.

After the latter left, Jiang Qing, who had been quiet all along, finally said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, this Brother Yang is far less straightforward than Brother He."

“That’s natural. As the saying goes, ‘Infant Transformation Pills are easy to obtain, but a pure heart is hard to find.’” Kang Dabao’s smile remained unchanged, but he added afterward, “But it’s already very good, isn’t it?”

Jiang Qing remained silent for a while before speaking again: "He talked for a while, but in the end he still couldn't find out which kind of spiritual object Senior Brother intended to use for Core Formation."

"Didn't I also fail to find out?" Kang Dabao shook his head and sighed softly. "This Brother Yang is worrying for nothing. Even if he did find out, what difference would it make? There are more than just our two families here to compete for it."

"We still didn't prepare in time, and we got the news too late. I'm afraid we'll have to go back empty-handed this time." Kang Dabao was frowning and calculating with his fingers when he turned around and a storage bag embroidered with immortal herbs landed in his hand.

"lady."

"Take a break, what are you going to nag about now?" Fei Shuhe rolled her beautiful eyes at him, a thousand charms swirling within them. When she opened her mouth again, a fragrant scent wafted over: "You'll have to pay me back someday."

-----

Several more days passed, and before they knew it, the day of the auction arrived.

Having just emerged from a secluded cultivation chamber comparable to a third-tier spiritual land, Sect Leader Kang was refreshed and in high spirits. Having experienced numerous auctions, he naturally assumed that the auction held by Wanbao Trading Company was merely extravagant and nothing particularly special.

But once the day arrived, they realized it wasn't like that at all.

Kang Dabao and the rest of Chongmingzong drove the Kui Xing Shuttle to the outside of the hall in a very low-key manner, naturally attracting the attention of many cultivators along the way.

After all, even ordinary Golden Core cultivators rarely receive an invitation from Wanbao Trading Company, so it's quite intriguing that a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators could have such an opportunity.

Headmaster Kang had his own way of dealing with it. He invited Fei Shuhe to walk to the bow of the ship, and the curiosity of the upper-level cultivators immediately dissipated:

"Oh right, I almost forgot, this kid is also the Fei family's son-in-law."

It goes without saying what kind of existence Fei Tianqin is. Most of the cultivators present did not want to offend Fei Nanying, who had already reached the middle-grade Golden Core stage. Those who had some thoughts about him then kept quiet.

After all, once you reach the Golden Core stage, you need to maintain a certain level of decorum. You can't just kill and plunder like you would when you're in the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages.

This auction is of a very high standard, and the attendees are all considered quite valuable by ordinary people. It is impossible for it to be as noisy and crowded as when Kang Dabao attended the Yushan Treasure Fair.

Master Kang met Yang Yongcheng and his nephew again, but he didn't have time to go up and reminisce. A row of maids had already been set up outside the hall. One of them gracefully welcomed Chongmingzong and led him into the side room. At the same time, she also took away Fei Shuhe, a Jinghai Pearl.

Kang Dabao knew that sighing was useless, and he privately made up his mind: "This time I must not return empty-handed!"

Wanbao Trading Company did not keep the cultivators waiting for long. Dou Tong, the head manager who used to be the center of attention on the city wall of Xuanwei City, soon stepped onto the stage on auspicious clouds and bowed to the various private rooms. He did not look like a Golden Core Peak cultivator at all.

It should be understood that this is why Wanbao Trading Company has not been included in the spiritual land of the David Immortal Dynasty since the previous dynasty. Otherwise, in terms of true strength, this trading company would be no less than any of the major powers in the current David Immortal Dynasty.

Even when the founding emperor was alive, the disciples of this merchant guild were always polite on the surface, but in their hearts they were neither arrogant nor conceited, and they were not afraid of any power.

It is rare for Dou Tong, as the head manager of Shannan Road, to be as respectful and cautious as an ordinary businessman.

"I am truly grateful to all of you fellow Daoists for taking the time to attend this auction!"

These polite words elicited further humble remarks from the various private rooms, which Dou Tong ignored internally. He bowed and said a few more words on the surface, before finally picking up the paperweight (used by the Maritime Trade Office in the Song Dynasty to auction imported goods, shaped like a paper ruler) and striking it heavily.
"The first item in this auction is the You sisters." As soon as Dou Tong finished speaking, a pair of beautiful women, draped in colorful clouds, descended onto the stage. This vast venue was protected by laws and regulations, connecting it to the various rooms around it.

It was enough that anyone in the private room, even a naive girl like Pei Xiangcao, could easily see every hair on the twins on the stage who were being auctioned off, if they wanted to.

"The two beauties of the You family have mastered the middle-grade 'Lotus and Moon Shining Together' technique of Hong Jie, and are about to achieve great success. They are only 150 years old now, yet they have already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. They are beautiful, their cinnabar marks are still intact, and they have a bright future ahead of them."

At this point, Dou Tong paused skillfully for a moment, waiting for the reactions of all parties.

Kang Dabao had already learned from the catalog in the main hall that the two You sisters had been practicing the "Lotus and Moon Shining Together" dual cultivation method, a mid-grade Hong-level technique, for a hundred years. For many cultivators, it could be considered a good tonic.

He was used to seeing people debase themselves and sell their bodies.

However, Sect Leader Kang had not anticipated that this matter, once witnessed by Kang Lingyi, would have such a profound impact on his eldest daughter, who was still somewhat sensible.

Fei Shuhe even glared at Kang Dabao with Zhang Qingran beside her. After realizing what had happened, Kang Dabao felt remorseful and felt like he was being pricked by thorns. He was about to say something when he saw the two women simply leave this filthy place with two little maids and go back to their courtyard to rest.

If you miss this auction, you'll have to wait for another one, which coincides with the time when the gourd spirit will appear; if you don't coax the woman now, you can coax her back later with more effort.

Master Kang clearly understands which aspect is more important.

Dou Tong was quite satisfied with the reactions from everyone in the private room. After a few more breaths, he announced the price set by the two You sisters:
"The two sisters hope to become concubines of a fellow Daoist whose cultivation has reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. This fellow Daoist will be responsible for providing them with the resources for their normal cultivation for the next sixty years. Furthermore, he promises that if their cultivation shows promise, each of them will need to provide a spiritual item to help them form a pseudo-Core."

As soon as Dou Tonghua landed, Kang Dabao muttered to himself, "It seems a bit expensive."

According to the usual practice, even if the two of them were practicing a dual cultivation method of a decent grade, it would be considered good if they could find a Golden Core cultivator in the early stage to protect them.

As for whether or not one can obtain the fake elixir or the spiritual treasure, that depends entirely on the cultivator's heart.

However, perhaps because the guests present were all important figures, several private rooms still offered bids despite the high price. After several rounds of bidding, the Xianyu family's chief retainer ultimately won the twins.

Dou Tong then sent a maid to lead the two You sisters over, along with a spiritual contract that both parties had to sign, which outlined severe punishments for violating the agreement.

To some extent, the spiritual contract issued by Wanbao Trading Company is probably more intimidating than the spiritual contract issued by Zhaixing Tower. Ordinary cultivators, and even True Persons, would not want to disobey it unless absolutely necessary.

Otherwise, the Xianyu family, who might have taken the picture of the twins, could have killed them at any moment if they were in a bad mood. After all, in the eyes of those higher-level cultivators, these low-level cultivators were no different from ordinary dogs or cats.

Seeing that Dou Tong had won the first battle, Master Kang knew that if he wanted to make any deals here, he would have to pay a lot of extra money, and he became even less confident.

As expected, the yellow dragon wood that they had previously favored was quickly bought out at a high price by a senior cultivator from the Jinjiang faction.

The inner core of a third-tier low-grade immortal ibis, the third-tier high-grade magic weapon Heaven-Breaking Halberd, and the third-tier spiritual herb Crimson Spirit Grass, which is good for nourishing spiritual consciousness—all these previously eye-catching items were outbid by Headmaster Kang.

It makes sense. These old guys have lived for who knows how many years. Even if Chongming Sect has made some progress in the last year or two, how could it possibly have the resources to compete with the life savings of the upper cultivators?

They had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, so they certainly wouldn't be as frugal as Master Kang, who was always so meticulous about pricing.

Dou Tong, as always, was making a fortune and was naturally paying close attention to the commotion in Kang Dabao's private room. He knocked on the door again, and something slowly appeared on the stage—an ordinary old vine—which caused everyone present to look at him with surprise.

At this moment, an old man in the previously silent room, whose identity and background were unknown, heard the commotion and opened his eyes. However, after watching Changqing Teng calculate with his fingers, he shook his head again.

Pu Honggu calculated that he had consumed too many life-extending spiritual items. While the Evergreen Vine might be effective for other Golden Core cultivators, it might only extend his life by two or three years. He still needed to pin his hopes on that other matter.

"Damn!"

Upon seeing this, Sect Leader Kang cursed inwardly. This evergreen vine also had the wonderful effect of nourishing lifespan; why would these Golden Core cultivators complain about having too long a life?

So Kang Dabao put all his effort into acquiring this spiritual item, but even with Fei Shuhe's private money to help him, he still lost after several rounds of bidding.

Watching helplessly as the price of the evergreen vine was driven up to an astonishing level and it was delivered to the Yang family's private room in Yezhou, Master Kang sighed softly, thinking to himself:

"I don't know about Yang Yongcheng either. Tsk, no way, that guy looks down on me, it's pointless to beg him. He might not even give his own son anything that involves Yuan Shou."

Jiang Qing and his senior brother were both dejected, but it was no use. They watched helplessly as one spiritual item after another was snapped up by other families, and could only sigh in their hearts that they had come for nothing again.

If the former is so impatient, he might as well not be able to afford anything at all, and instead of waiting until the very end, he would drag Master Kang back to the courtyard, so as to avoid being too envious at this point.

However, the fact that Master Kang was able to sit still allowed him to take advantage of the situation.

There was a piece of Phoenix Spirit Jade of good quality, which would have a considerable effect on nourishing the spirit and laying a foundation for Qi Refining cultivators. However, the old monsters in this battle were all quite selfish, and few people were willing to bid for this good item, allowing Kang Dabao to purchase it cheaply.

"No matter what, at least I've got the things to coax the baby and the wife." Kang Dabao's disappointment subsided slightly as he watched the last item on the stage, a thousand-year-old cicada shell, being snapped up by a stranger after a fierce bidding war.

Master Kang then realized that none of the items in today's auction had failed to sell, and he was naturally amazed by the skill and discerning eye of Manager Dou.

However, after all the items had been sold, Dou Tong showed no sign of ending the meeting. Instead, after muttering a prayer for a while, a piece of gold brocade appeared in one of the private rooms, with a red ink inscription on it.

At this moment, not only Kang Dabao was puzzled. Dou Tong explained on the stage: "Wanbao Trading Company was invited by a fellow Daoist to inquire if any of you know the correct method for refining the Crimson Universe Life-Extending Pill. If so, please record it on the spiritual scroll. I, Dou, can act as the middleman. Neither party needs to reveal their identities, and we can complete this transaction through Wanbao Trading Company."

These words caused a huge uproar in the room. The previously composed and virtuous cultivators suddenly became excited: "That's the Crimson Life-Extending Pill, which can extend one's lifespan by two hundred years!!!"

"Who is making this request?"

"Dao Ancestor, has someone truly refined the Crimson Universe Life-Extending Pill?! Does our Shannan Dao also have such a skilled alchemist?! I must inquire about this alchemist's whereabouts so I can become closer to them in the future!"

"Damn it, someone actually dares to refine the Crimson Life-Extending Pill? Is this the Southern Mountain Road of the Star-Picking Tower or the Two Rivers Road of the Blood Sword Sect?!"

This commotion had nothing to do with Sect Leader Kang, and he was completely unfamiliar with the name "Crimson Life-Sustaining Pill." After discussing it with Jiang Qing, the two left and returned to their courtyard.

After giving the Phoenix Spirit Jade to Kang Lingyi, the attitudes of all the women in the room improved considerably; it didn't take much effort from Headmaster Kang to appease them. However, the latter couldn't help feeling regretful. She had come with high hopes, but had only managed to broaden her family's horizons before leaving empty-handed, which was quite amusing.

However, this was something that Sect Leader Kang could not change, and the auction in the hall finally ended after more than half a day. Kang Dabao did not know whether the Golden Core cultivator who wanted to exchange the Crimson Celestial Life-Sustaining Pill for the righteous method had succeeded, but he simply rode the beast-drawn carriage he had come in back to the market.

During this period, those skilled and daring cultivators returned on their own, while those less capable could only be taken back to the market by Senior Wu Xuan in a Ruilin beast-drawn carriage, just like Master Kang.

Since the Grand Master Kang and his group did not have any Golden Core cultivators present, it had already been a day or two by the time it was their turn, but they dared not utter a single complaint.

Unwilling to leave empty-handed, Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing left the auction and started arguing with the permanent counter of Wanbao Trading Company.

Although his resources were not comparable to those of a seasoned Golden Core cultivator and he could not afford rare items, he was not too destitute. He was unusually generous and bought a lot of items for his wives, concubines, children, disciples, and so on.

Only then did he feel a little better, and he turned back on the Kui Xing Shuttle, only to unexpectedly encounter an acquaintance waiting for him on the way.

"This junior greets Yang Qian."

"Hmm, take it for now!"

Kang Dabao took a look and was slightly surprised: "Ivy!"

(Because the recommendation results have been very poor since the book was released, after discussing with the editor, the book will change its title and synopsis soon, and adopt a more mainstream long title to see if intelligent recommendation and traffic generation will improve.)

Otherwise, it will be difficult to get further recommendations, and subscriptions may plummet. Therefore, I hope you, dear readers, will not mind and will continue to support this book. The story's direction and writing style will not change because of this; I can guarantee that. Please be understanding.
(End of this chapter)